Legislation to ban parking in Pittsburgh bike lanes takes next step

PITTSBURGH — New legislation to ban parking in Pittsburgh’s 60-miles worth of bike lanes has taken a big step forward.

City Council amended it to allow for exceptions to the ordinance.

On Wednesday, council members unanimously voted to allow people with handicap tags or placards to briefly park in bike lanes for drop-offs or pickups.

The amendment will also allow the Department of Mobility and Infrastructure to establish further exceptions down the line.

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Drivers would be notified of those by signs placed where parking is allowed under certain conditions.

One exception City Council has suggested is for churches that heavily rely on scarce street parking on Sundays.

“The default is no parking in bike lanes,” explained Councilman Bobby Wilson. “It’s dangerous. It’s unsafe for cyclists. We put that bike lane in there for a reason. There was a lot of planning that went into that. But we do want to be mindful of ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance and anything down the road that may come up.”

If the legislation is enacted, Pittsburgh Police and Parking Authority will be able to issue tickets similar to other parking violations.

City Council is set to take a final vote on Tuesday.

Proposal would make it illegal to park in Pittsburgh’s bike lanes